


iced in

by ndnickerson



Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Bonding, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Romance, Snowed In, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 12:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15930668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ndnickerson/pseuds/ndnickerson
Summary: Nancy's stuck at home during a massive winter storm when she receives a very welcome visitor.





	iced in

On day four, Nancy finally heard something beyond the continual hiccuping drone of the generator and the wind screaming around the house: a vehicle laboring outside.

The snowstorm had seemed innocuous at first. It wasn't supposed to be all that bad. Big heavy flakes had blanketed over evidence of the last few snowfalls, leaving the world white and pristine again. But it hadn't stopped, and the ice that had soon followed had sent tree limbs crashing through power lines. For four days, Nancy had been stuck inside, alone and cold. Her father had been stranded in Chicago, and Hannah in Centerville, but at least they were all safe. And at least her father had bought the generator a few years ago, and at least he had kept it well-maintained and gassed up. The stove and oven were gas, so Nancy wasn't going hungry. She slept in the den, near the fireplace, and when she felt cold, she reminded herself that things could be much, much worse.

Granted, they could have been much better, too. Ned was home from Emerson and they had been planning to go on a movie date the previous day. She knew he was home and safe, so at least that was some comfort, but she was almost ready to go out of her mind. Hannah had always been faithful about keeping their stash of emergency batteries and supplies stocked, so at least Nancy had been able to keep up with the news reports. Roads were treacherous, impassable, or closed. Utility repair crews had to wait until the storm passed to do anything. The freezing temperatures and ice drifts were expected to last at least a few more days.

The roar of a motor outside, though, was irresistible. Nancy out down the book she had been reading and rushed to the window, opening the blinds. The landscape was a fierce blinding white, so glaring that she had to close her eyes for a second, but her eyes flew open again when she heard a car door slam.

The figure had climbed down from the passenger side of a snow plow, and Nancy was glad to see that the driver had at least made some progress on scraping the snow and ice off her road. Not enough, of course, but at least it was a start. As the massive vehicle rumbled away, the figure in the bulky insulated parka adjusted the straps of a backpack and, gripping a gas can in gloved fingers, headed for her front door.

Nancy's eyes widened. She had been doing her best to use the generator sparingly, all too aware that her gas supply was finite, but she also didn't want to freeze to death. A can of gas would be a godsend, but who...

She had the front door open, shivering at the howl of the wind, as Ned carefully climbed the steps, then stamped ice and snow out of his boot treads, before pushing back his hood a little and giving her the smile that could, and had, easily melt her heart more times than she could count. She was smiling back as she opened the outer door, beckoning him in.

"What are you doing here?"

Ned gestured with the gas can. "Well, I wanted to help out if I could," he replied. "Whew."

"I... I just can't believe you're here." As soon as he put the gas can down, she flung her arms around him and gave him a long, fierce hug.

Ned laughed and nuzzled against her as he returned the hug; she laughed and squirmed away from his cold skin. "I missed you too, sweetheart. I hated that we missed our date."

"Me too. I was about to go stir-crazy here. So how'd you end up hitching a ride on a snow plow?"

Mapleton was just as snow- and ice-bound as River Heights, she knew, but Ned had a friend who was home from Emerson too, and his family owned the snow plow. Ned had hitched a ride, both to keep his friend company and to get out of the house for a while—with the added bonus of seeing Nancy at the end of it. The friend had managed to find a miraculously open gas station, and Ned had filled the largest gas can he could manage by himself. He also searched the shelves for some food Nancy could easily prepare, and she laughed as he unloaded cans of soup in the kitchen.

"Oh, and Mom sent over a lasagna from the deep-freeze. She said it was going to go bad anyway, and thought you might want something a little different."

Nancy smiled. Ned's mother was always so thoughtful. "Sounds great. Have people been having freezer-cleanout grilling parties in your neighborhood?"

"Probably. Dad's done some grilling, and we've been playing a lot of Scrabble."

After some negotiations, Nancy and Ned settled on grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for their meal. Nancy assigned Ned the task of stirring the soup while she grilled the sandwiches, and though they teased each other, he had one arm around her waist the whole time. She was warmed by the contact, against the cool air in the house, especially since he had thawed out from his brief trip through her yard.

As Nancy swallowed the last spoonful of her tomato soup half an hour later, she gazed at Ned across the table. He had devoured two sandwiches and finished off the tomato soup, and she could see that he was surreptitiously searching the kitchen, hoping that Hannah had left some sweet treat behind. The light was beginning to fade, and before it did, she wanted to light the candles she'd placed around the den. And she was going to need to switch out the batteries in the radio soon, or just turn it off altogether.

"So when will your buddy with the plow be back?"

Ned shrugged, wiping his mouth. "He said he had a lot to do, so maybe sometime tomorrow," he answered, and then his lips turned up in a smile.

Nancy raised her eyebrows. "Really," she drawled.

He nodded. "I mean, it may not be as romantic as a movie date, but at least I can keep you company and make sure you stay warm," he pointed out. "And I'm sure we can find some way to keep ourselves occupied."

"Mmm, but I'm sure Scrabble is hard to play by candlelight," Nancy pointed out, propping her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling as she played along.

"That's true. And stargazing is out."

"And the night's pretty long this time of year." Nancy glanced down at the crumbs on her plate, then back up at Ned. The lengthening shadows warned her that she needed to go ahead and light some candles, but she also didn't want to break this mood. "You really think you can keep us both entertained for that long?"

He swallowed, then reached across the table and took her hand, slowly. The warmth of his skin against the chill of hers as he brushed his thumb against the heel of her hand was intoxicating.

"Let's find out," he murmured, and then his dark eyes flicked up to hers.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published elsewhere. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving feedback!


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